Studio Magik Sessions 1968-1980: Led Zeppelin’s Secret Sauce Spills Out
Alright, buckle up. If you’re a Zephead (or just someone who appreciates good ol’ rock ‘n roll), Studio Magik Sessions 1968-1980 is like finding an ancient map to buried treasure. Except instead of gold doubloons, it’s packed with raw takes, alternate versions, and studio wizardry that’ll make your ears perk up like they’ve been dipped in caffeine. Released in 2013 by The Godfather Box—a label known for unearthing gems this side of legal—it’s basically a bootlegger’s dream come true. But hey, let’s not get bogged down in technicalities; we’re here for the tunes.
Now, I gotta say, sifting through this behemoth feels like raiding Jimmy Page’s personal vault while he wasn’t looking. There are over 150 tracks on this thing, ranging from acoustic noodling to full-on multitrack madness. It spans their classic genres—rock, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, folk—you name it. And trust me, some of these cuts? Pure magic. Others? Well… let’s call them “experiments.” You know how sometimes chefs try weird fusion dishes, and it doesn’t always work out? Yeah, same vibe here occasionally—but when it works, oh boy.
Track Highlights: No Quarter & Whole Lotta Love
Let’s dive into two standouts because if I tried to cover everything, we’d be here until next Tuesday.
First off, “No Quarter” (Take 4, Instrumental - Complete). This version strips away all the bells and whistles—er, flutes—and leaves us with something hauntingly skeletal. Without Robert Plant’s vocals, the spotlight falls squarely on John Paul Jones’ keyboard wizardry and Jimmy Page’s guitar atmospherics. It’s moody as heck, like walking through foggy cobblestone streets at midnight. What sticks with me isn’t just the eerie soundscapes but also how much breathing room there is between notes. It reminds you that Led Zeppelin weren’t just about smashing guitars—they could craft tension like nobody else. Honestly, listening to this makes me want to write poetry or stare wistfully out a rain-streaked window. Or both.
Then there’s “Whole Lotta Love” (Multitrack Mixdown, Version 1). Oh man, where do I even start? We’ve heard the iconic album version a gazillion times, right? That primal scream, those bone-rattling riffs—it’s burned into our collective consciousness. But this mixdown? It’s like seeing the blueprint of a skyscraper before it’s built. Here, you can pick apart every layer: Bonham’s thunderous drums hitting harder than ever, Page’s snarling guitar licks practically leaping out of the speakers, and Plant’s voice floating ethereally above it all. Hearing these elements isolated gives you a whole new appreciation for what made the final product so damn iconic. Plus, there’s something oddly satisfying about catching little studio quirks—like vocal overdubs bleeding into drum tracks—that humanize the band. They weren’t gods after all… well, maybe they were, but they still had to tweak stuff in post-production.
Why You’ll Remember These Tracks
What stays with me most about these songs—and really the entire collection—is how intimate it feels. Like you’re sitting in the control room, eavesdropping on four legends figuring things out on the fly. Sure, some bits feel rough around the edges (hello, stopped takes!), but that’s part of the charm. Perfection’s boring anyway.
And honestly, isn’t that what music should be about? Not glossy perfection but raw energy, trial-and-error, and moments of brilliance that happen when no one’s watching? Listening to Studio Magik Sessions, you realize Led Zeppelin weren’t just creating music—they were conjuring spells.
Final Thoughts: A Little Bit of Chaos Goes a Long Way
If I’m being brutally honest, this isn’t an album for casual fans. It’s dense, sprawling, and occasionally messy—but then again, so was Led Zeppelin themselves. And maybe that’s why it resonates so deeply. After all, life ain’t perfect either, yet we keep coming back for more.
So grab yourself a cuppa tea (or whisky, depending on your mood) and dive in. Just don’t blame me if you find yourself humming random instrumental snippets for days afterward. Trust me, though, once you’ve heard Bonzo’s drum fills bleed into tympani echoes during “Ramble On,” you won’t look at Zeppelin the same way again.
Oh, and one last thing: whoever decided to include five different mixes of “Whole Lotta Love”? Genius move. Cheers to chaos!
Artist:Led Zeppelin Album: Studio Magik Sessions 1968 1980
What Is And What Should Never Be (Drum Left Bleed)
What Is And What Should Never Be (Main Vocals Bleed)
In The Morning [AKA In The Light] (Take 1)
Drum Solo
Guitar Instrumental (Take 7)
Whole Lotta Love (Guitar Overdubs Bleed)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 10, Stopped)
Whole Lotta Love (Vocal Overdubs Bleed)
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Take 9, Stopped)
Tea For One [AKA Hootchie Kootchie Version]
Trampled Underfoot
Heartbreaker (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #1)
Black Dog Acoustic (Take 2, Instrumental)
The Boy Next Door [AKA That's The Way] (Take 4)
Hot Dog
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 2, Stopped)
Ozone Baby (Take 2)
Poor Tom (Take 2-6)
Guitar/Organ Instrumentals (Take 2)
Ramble On (Vocals Bleed)
Fool In The Rain (Take 1)
The Boy Next Door [AKA That's The Way] (Take 4)
Guitar Instrumental (Take 6)
What Is And What Should Never Be (Main Guitar Bleed)
Fool In The Rain
No Quarter
Guitar/Organ Instrumentals (Take 6)
Moby Dick (Intro & Outro)
I'm Gonna Crawl
Four Sticks (Take 1)
Ramble On (Electric Guitar Bleed)
Moby Dick (Intro & Outro)
Stairway To Heaven (Take 2, Instrumental)
What Is And What Should Never Be (Bass Bleed)
Ramble On (Bass Bleed)
Wearing And Tearing (Take 2)
Lucifer Rising
Friends (Rehearsing The Tune)
Bron-Yr-Aur (Takes 1 - 2)
Southbound Saurez
The Rover
Heartbreaker (Vocals And Guitar Bleed)
Ramble On (Multi Track Mix Down Version 2)
Ramble On (Multi Track Mix Down Version 1)
The Battle Of Evermore (Take 6)
Whole Lotta Love (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #1)
White Summer (Take 2) Medley Incl. Black Mountain Side
Ramble On (Vocals And Guitar Bleed)
Fire
What Is And What Should Never Be (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #2)
Ramble On (Drum Left Bleed W/ Tympani)
We're Gonna Groove
Whole Lotta Love (Drum Right Bleed)
Ozone Baby (Take 2)
Four Sticks (Take 1, Instrumental)
Carouselambra (Take 2)
Darlene (Take 2)
Sick Again
Guitar Instrumental (Take 5)
Whole Lotta Love (Guitar Overdubs Bleed)
Bron-Yr-Aur (Take 3)
Bonzo's Montreux (Take 2)
My Oh My [AKA Friends] (Takes 1 - 2)
White Summer (Take 1)
Walter's Walk (Take 3, With Vocals)
Sugar Mama
Electric Guitar Improvisation
The Battle Of Evermore (Take 1)
Custard Pie
Guitar Instrumental (Take 4)
Heartbeaker (Vocals And Guitar Bleed)
Whole Lotta Love (Drum Left Bleed)
Baby Come On Home [AKA Tribute To Bert Berns] (Take 3, Complete)
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Take 8)
ABC Song
Stairway To Heaven (Take 6, W/ Vocals)
Don't Start Me Talking - All My Lovin'
Ramble On (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #2)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 9, Stopped)
Since I've Been Loving You (Full Mix)
Poor Tom (Take 2, W/ Vocals)
The Boy Next Door [AKA That's The Way] (Take 2)
Guitar Instrumental (Take 5)
Ozone Baby (Take 1)
Lucifer Rising (Percussive Return)
Feel So Bad [AKA Hats Off To Roy Harper Version] Medley Incl. Fixin' To Die, That's Alright Mama
Stairway To Heaven (Take 4, Instrumental)
Trampled Underfoot
Whole Lotta Love (Drum Right Bleed)
Guitar/Organ Instrumentals (Take 1)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 3, Stopped)
Ten Years Gone (Takes 1 - 12)
Four Sticks (Take 3)
Heartbeaker (Main Guitar Bleed Take 2)
Four Sticks (Take 2, W/ Vocals)
Since I've Been Loving You (Vocal Track)
Feel So Bad [AKA Hats Off To Roy Harper] (Takes 1 - 2) Medley Incl. Fixin' To Die, That's Alright Mama
Guitar/Organ Instrumentals (Take 5)
Friends (Take 1)
The Battle Of Evermore (Take 1)
Ramble On (Multi Track Mix Down Version 3)
Stairway To Heaven
Ramble On (Acoustic Guitar Bleed)
Stairway To Heaven (Take 3, Instrumental)
Ramble On (Vocals Bleed)
Swan Song [AKA Midnight Moonlight] (Take 1)
Poor Tom (Take 1, Instrumental)
Ramble On (Vocals And Guitar Bleed)
Baby Come On Home [AKA Tribute To Bert Berns] (Take 2, Stopped)
Ten Years Gone (Takes 1 - 4)
Wearing And Tearing (Take 1)
My Oh My [AKA Friends] (Takes 3 - 4)
Poor Tom (Takes 2 - 6)
What Is And What Should Never Be (Guitar And Vocals Overdubs)
Hey Hey What Can I Do (Instrumental)
Trampled Underfoot (Takes 1 - 9)
Whole Lotta Love (Main Guitar Bleed)
Stairway To Heaven (Take 5 W/ Vocals)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 2, Stopped)
Ramble On (Multi Track Mix Down Version 5)
Guitar Instrumental (Take 3)
Darlene
What Is And What Should Never Be (Vocal Overdubs Bleed, Take 1)
Four Sticks (Take 1, Instrumental)
Immigrant Song
No Quarter (Take 3, Stopped)
The Boy Next Door [AKA That's The Way] (Take 5)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 6, Complete Basic Version)
Four Sticks (Take 2, W/ Vocal)
Guitar Instrumental (Take 2)
Heartbreaker (Drum Right Bleed)
In My Time Of Dying (Takes 1 - 7)
The Battle Of Evermore (Take 4)
Guitar Instrumental (Take 1)
Heartbeaker (Guitar Drum Bass Bleed)
The Wanton Song (Take 2)
Sugar Mama
Guitar Instrumental (Take 2)
Hey Hey What Can I Do (Takes 1 - 2)
Swan Song [AKA Midnight Moonlight]
Heartbeaker (Multi Track Mix Down Version #2)
Stairway To Heaven (Take 2, Instrumental)
Ramble On (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #5, Fragment Only)
Stairway To Heaven (Take 1, Instrumental)
Celebration Day (Instrumental)
My Oh My [AKA Friends] (Takes 1-2)
The Wanton Song
Stairway To Heaven (Take 4, Instrumental)
Untitled Guitar Instrumentals
Ramble On (Bass Bleed)
Celebration Day (Instrumental)
No Quarter (Take 2, Stopped)
Black Dog Electric (Rehearsal)
Whole Lotta Love (Drum Left Bleed)
Guitar Instrumental (Take 7)
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Take 8)
Four Sticks (Take 2)
What Is And What Should Never Be (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #2)
Boogie With Stu (Takes 1 - 9)
Bron-Yr-Aur (Take 4)
Whole Lotta Love (Vocals Bleed)
Baby Come On Home [AKA Tribute To Bert Berns] (Take 1, Stopped)
Achilles Last Stand (Take 2)
Ramble On (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #4, Fragment Only)
Ramble On (Drum Right Bleed W/ Tympani)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 11, Stopped)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 5, Stopped)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 4, Stopped)
Walter's Walk (Take 1, Instrumental)
Carouselambra (Takes 1 - 4)
Darlene (Take 1)
What Is And What Should Never Be (Guitar And Vocal Overdubs Bleed)
When The Levee Breaks (Take 2)
In The Evening
Guitar/Organ Instrumentals (Take 4)
All My Love
What Is And What Should Never Be (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #3)
Ramble On (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #3)
Damask
The Battle Of Evermore (Take 2)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 11, Stopped)
Untitled Instrumental
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 1, Stopped)
Ramble On (Drum Left Bleed W/ Tympani)
Ramble On (Multi Track Mix Down Version 4)
Whole Lotta Love (Bass Bleed)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 4, Stopped)
Whole Lotta Love (Main Guitar Bleed)
No Quarter (Take 6, Stopped)
Friends (Take 2)
Heartbreaker (Vocals Bleed)
No Quarter (Take 7, W/ Vocals - Complete)
Guitar/Organ Instrumentals (Take 7)
Heartbreaker (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #2)
Whole Lotta Love (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #3)
Bonzo's Montreux (Take 1)
Since I've Been Loving You (Vocal Track)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 7, Stopped)
Carouselambra
No Quarter (Take 4, Instrumental - Complete)
Incubus
Ramble On (Acoustic Guitar Bleed)
Kashmir
Wearing And Tearing
No Quarter
Bathroom Song [AKA Out On The Tiles]
The Boy Next Door [AKA That's The Way] (Take 3)
Heartbreaker (Drum Left Bleed)
Blues Guitar/Piano Improvisation
Whole Lotta Love (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #2)
Poor Tom (Take 1, Instrumental)
Wearing And Tearing
No Quarter (Take 1, Instrumental - Complete)
Heartbreaker (Bass Bleed)
Poor Tom (Take 1)
Whole Lotta Love (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #1)
Night Flight
Fool In The Rain (Take 2)
Black Dog
No Quarter (Take 5, Stopped)
Stairway To Heaven
Damask (Ambient Version)
Poor Tom (Take 1)
Stairway To Heaven (Take 1, Instrumental)
Walter's Walk (Take 2, With Vocals)
Untitled Instrumental
Kashmir
The Wanton Song
The Battle Of Evermore (Take 5)
What Is And What Should Never Be (Vocal Overdubs Bleed, Take 2)
What Is And What Should Never Be (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #3)
Heartbeaker (Bass Bleed)
Ramble On (Drum Right Bleed W/ Tympani)
Stairway To Heaven (Take 3, Instrumental)
Heartbeaker (Main Guitar Bleed Take 1)
Since I've Been Loving You (Full Mix)
What Is And What Should Never Be (Bass Bleed)
Guitar Instrumental (Take 4)
Whole Lotta Love (Multitrack Mixdown, Showcase)
Out On The Tiles (Instrumental)
Drum Segment
Ramble On (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #1)
The Boy Next Door [AKA That's The Way] (Take 5)
Whole Lotta Love (Tympani/Tambourine Bleed)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 7, Stopped)
The Boy Next Door [AKA That's The Way] (Take 1)
Electric Guitar Improvisation
Royal Orleans
Stairway To Heaven (Take 6 W/ Vocals)
Heartbeaker (Drum Left Bleed)
In The Light
Heartbeaker (Multi Track Mix Down Version #1)
When The Levee Breaks (Take 1)
The Boy Next Door [AKA That's The Way] (Take 1)
Carouselambra (Take 1)
Drum Solo
What Is And What Should Never Be (Drum Right Bleed)
Friends (Take 3)
Heartbreaker (Guitar, Bass And Drums Bleed)
What Is And What Should Never Be (Vocal Overdubs Bleed, Take 1)
Guitar Instrumental (Take 3)
Night Flight (Takes 1 - 11)
Bron-Yr-Aur (Takes 1-2)
What Is And What Should Never Be (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #1)
Guitar Instrumental (Take 1)
Four Sticks (Take 4)
The Battle Of Evermore (Take 3)
Whole Lotta Love (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #3)
That's The Way (Full Mix)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 12, Complete Full Mix)
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Take 9, Complete)
Whole Lotta Love (Tympani / Tambourine Bleed)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 3, Stopped)
Swan Song [AKA Midnight Moonlight] (Take 2)
The Wanton Song (Take 1)
Bron-Yr-Aur (Take 3)
Ramble On (Multi Track Mix Down Version 6)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 9, Stopped)
Stairway To Heaven (Take 5, W/ Vocals)
Ramble On (Guitar Overdubs Bleed)
Achilles Last Stand (Take 1)
Hey Hey What Can I Do (Takes 1-2)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 8, Stopped)
Guitar Instrumental (Take 6)
Black Dog Electric (Rehearsal)
Ramble On (Multitrack Mixdown, Version #6)
Blues Guitar / Piano Improvisation
The Boy Next Door [AKA That's The Way] (Take 2)
Hey Hey What Can I Do (Instrumental)
Jennings Farm Blues (Take 12, Complete Full Mix)
In The Morning [AKA In The Light] (Take 2)
Take Me Home (Take 2)
The Boy Next Door [AKA That's The Way] (Take 3)
Heartbreaker (Main Guitar Bleed, Take 1)
Unharmonics
Heartbeaker (Drum Right Bleed)
Guitar/Organ Instrumentals (Take 3)
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Take 9, Complete)
Take Me Home (Take 1)
Images
Catalog Numbers
G.R. BOX 18
Labels
The Godfather Box
Listen online
lyssna på nätet
ouvir online
online luisteren
online anhören
kuunnella verkossa
écouter en ligne
ascolta in linea
lytte på nettet
escuchar en línea
Formats
18 × CD
Compilation Box Set
Unofficial Release
Tri-Fold Box Set
Interesting fact about Album
Here’s something cool: The album *Studio Magik Sessions 1968-1980* by Led Zeppelin is like a treasure chest for fans. It came out in 2013, decades after the band's original run. What makes it special? It’s packed with raw, unreleased versions of their iconic songs. You get to hear early takes, instrumental jams, and even mistakes that never made the final cut. For example, there’s an unplugged version of “Whole Lotta Love” and alternate mixes of “Stairway to Heaven.” It’s like peeking behind the curtain to see how the magic was made.
